This invention relates to a portable room air conditioner and, in particular, to a retractable handle for use in a portable room air conditioner.
More specifically, this invention involves a window air conditioning unit that can be easily installed within a window frame and removed to storage when the cooling season has ended. Many window units found in the prior art are not equipped with handles or other suitable devices to facilitate lifting and carrying the unit. As a consequence, these units are difficult to install and remove from a window frame. U.S. Pat. No. 3,500,738 to Wenig illustrates a multiple use window air conditioning unit that has a handle attached to the top wall of the unit housing. As can be seen, the handle protrudes above the top wall of the housing and thus can impede, rather than aid, in the installation of the unit. The handle can be readily seen and clearly detracts from the aesthetic value of the unit. Lastly, the housings used to enclose most window units are fabricated from thin, metal or plastic sheets. Accordingly, lifting the relatively heavy unit by use of the Wenig-type handle can cause the housing to become deformed, or even to break, thus posing a potential danger to the user.